Easton police this morning raided a home in the 600 block of Bushkill Street and took two people into custody as part of an ongoing, two-month investigation into heroin trafficking in the city's West Ward, Lt. Matthew Gerould said at the scene.

The city's Special Response Unit and Vice Unit carried out the raid, he said. It was preceded by informant drug buys in the home, he said.

The target of the raid, Barbara McNeil, 31, was taken to a local hospital after becoming ill when told a narcotics warrant was being served, Gerould said. Sean Bookman, 24, was taken into custody and will be cited with possession of a small amount of marijuana, a summary offense, Gerould said.

McNeil is a suspected member of the Bloods street gang and the home at 679 Bushkill St. was the site of Bloods drug dealing activity, Gerould said. There was significant foot traffic in and out of the home, he said. Bookman is also a suspected Bloods member, Gerould said.

Six children, ranging in age from 1 to 16, were taken from the home and placed in the custody of an aunt, Gerould said. Police also found an aggressive pit bull in a cage, Gerould said. The home was referred to the city codes office because of its condition, he said.

McNeil initially was held on a warrant after previously giving police false identification, Gerould said. She was released this morning from the hospital, according to an emergency radio report. She is charged with possession of a controlled substance from today's raid and delivery of heroin from a previous vice buy, Gerould said. She arrived just before 11 o'clock for arraignment in the Downtown district court.

Police served the narcotics search warrant just after 6 o'clock and scoured the cluttered tan half-double home for evidence of drug dealing. A car parked outside was towed after a drug-sniffing dog checked it out.

It was initially unclear if drugs were found in the home or car, Gerould said. Police cleared the scene at 7:30.

One member of the special response team suffered a minor injury in a fall and was to be treated, Gerould said.

Neighbors said they were stunned by the raid.

"No, honest to God, no," a neighbor said when asked if a lot of people came in and out of the house. "It was just them.

"This is crazy. I'm just worried about the infant in there."

The neighborhood is "pretty quiet, pretty decent," she said.

"This is a shocker to us," she said. "Trust me, a big shocker."

The shock began just after 6 o'clock.

"I got woken up. I thought there was a world natural disaster," she said of the raid. "Then I hear it's the police."

When asked if she was happy it was the police and not a disaster, there was a long pause, and then she said, "Yeah."

Another neighbor said it "was just the people who live there" going in and out of the home with the children, three boys and two girls. "Then again," the woman said, "I stay in my house."

McNeil and the children have lived in the home since early this year, the neighbor said.

McNeil was described as "very nice," but, the neighbor said, "You never know what they do behind closed doors."